The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and relevant links.

Intense Spring Aurora Over Northern Michigan

The photo above shows the northern lights as viewed from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan on the night of April 23, 2012. Not only was there a remarkable aurora display, but the Moon was below the horizon and so didn't steal any luster away from the show. Green color dominated early on but later in the night both green and red aurora saturated the northern sky. In late spring and summer, the only place where aurora can be easily seen is in the mid-latitudes -- the sky isn't dark enough to observe them further to the north (or to the south in the Southern Hemisphere).